This is just my list of happy.
1
Reading aloud
John 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
This always gives me goosebumps!
2
Gingerbread houses
or like this....
(Guess which one Beatrice and I made)
3
Reading or reciting "The Night Before Christmas"
...or even listening to Mrs Claus read it.
4
Decorating cookies for Santa
5
Listening to a brass band play Christmas Carols in Victoria Square.
They played "See Amid the Winter Snow". I cried.
6
Pantomimes
Oh no they don't!
Oh yes they do!
7
Meeting Cinderella and the Ugly Sisters
8
Angel costumes
9
Nativity plays
10
The Christmas tree festival (with friends)
11
Continental Christmas market that sells long ropes of liquorice and crepes with nutella.
12
Winter walks
13
Stripy straws
14
Christmas dinner
15
Boxing day
16
Wrapping presents
(This one is for the dog)
17
Unwrapping presents
(Bea helps unwrap one for the dog)
18
When the grandparents arrived at our house on Christmas Day, Bea was eagerly telling them all about the gifts she had got. Dilly refused to be outdone. In a puppy-like fashion, she bounced about squeaking a plastic penguin and wagging her tail. This is dog speak for "look! I got a new squeaky toy too! Isn't this fun, I love squeaky toys"
19
A plate left by the fire on Christmas Eve with special cookies, a glass of milk and some reindeer food sprinkled on the grass with a side of carrot.
20
The Boxing Day discovery that the reindeer had eaten half of the carrot!
21
A little sparkle of Christmas magic.
22
Amid the chaos of discarded wrapping paper, husband engrossed in his Iron Man book.
23
Angel face skirt
24
North Pole Party
(just like last year, or the year before)
25
Elf Costumes
26
Christmas Carols
27
Decorations for the tree
and of course when Bea fell in love with our newest Christmas decoration...
28
Advent calendar
This year it was filled with squinkies.
29
The arrival of Cindy Lou Who
(our Elf on the Shelf)
Beatrice is only allowed to watch Christmas dvds in December, so Cindy Lou bought her a new one to herald the beginning of the festive movie season. Who knew that advent was both a season of preparation and "The Grinch"!
30
Walking with Dilly and Beanz, wearing new Christmas fleecey things.
31
Growing families of Sylvannian Families
Bea's collection grew somewhat over the Christmas period. I am delighted.
32
Thomas and Beatrice holding Santa's hand
33
The flying fairy.
One of the MANY gifts from Auntie Andrea. This fairy, with a somewhat unsubtle buzzing noise, performs a perfect vertical take off. She will then fly around the room. Should she begin to drop from the air, you can encourage her to soar by holding your hand beneath her. All is well until she crashes into a wall, or a window, or a radiator much like a demented budgie.
34
When the flying fairy crash lands into a little head and gets entangled in the bed head.
35
The intense concentration required to style hair.
36
Dressing for Christmas Dinner.
And by that, yes I do mean dressing as a medieval princess.
37
Easy to fill Christmas lists.
This year Bea requested a little Miss Muffin doll, a small pig with a horse to look after him and some Barbie clothes.* Total cost ; < £20
*She didn't bother asking Santa for a Barbie colour and design studio as she knew someone else was getting her that for Christmas.
38
The giant puppy that Santa brought. It was simply too large to be stuffed in the stocking hanging at the end of Bea's bed, so that jolly old elf tied a piece of string to the stocking and wound it around the landing until it ended on the turn in the stairs where the giant puppy slept.
This puppy seems to have a sleep inducing quality.
39
Seeing "Frozen"
40
Not seeing "Frozen".
On Christmas Eve we arrived at Glengormley Movie House to see Frozen. However, no one had warned (or perhaps they had) the Movie House about this and they were shut. So we looked up film times on husband's phone and headed off to catch the 1.40 showing at the Odyssey. Unfortunately when we arrived at 1.35, we were told that they actually started it at 1 and THE INTERNET WAS WRONG!!!! Imagine! We then headed off to Dundonald to wait in the queue to be informed that the film had been sold out. When we suggested to the girls that they could see it later in the week and go instead to Mcdonalds, their cheers implied that this was an acceptable plan.
41
New jamamas.
That's what we call pyjamas in our house.
Not to mention cashmere bed socks too!
42
Seeing the hobbit. (Plus a lovely meal before with Mr Fisher and Mr Johnston)
43
Reading Pride and Prejudice again.
44
Festive food.
Also "making" festive food...like Christmas cookies.
45
The Stompie Slippers
46
Lazy mornings
47
Adventures with friends
48
The Christmas Dancing Show
49
Visiting Bethlehem.
50
A beautiful Christmas bride
51
Reindeer buns
52
December birthdays.
The black shadow is Beanz admiring Jonathan's birthday cake.
53
Shortbread.
Especially the eating of. With full cheeks.
54
Pulling crackers and the silly surprises within.
55
Christmas ham.
This year Nigella's ham with coke recipe seemed to have a bit of a double meaning, but that is not why we boiled our is cider...we just fancied something new. But you just can't beat a Christmas ham, studded with cloves roasting with honey and whiskey.
56
Setting the table for Christmas lunch.
Beatrice made a table centre - winter wonderland.
57
Posting Christmas cards
58
Searching for Cindy Lou every morning...and the mischief she sometimes got up to!
59
My many nativity scenes, especially this one...
60
New Year's Eve. Cheese, crackers, Jools on the tv and my husband, with a bottle of champagne to pop at midnight.
I think that my New Year's Manifesto will be much the same as last years, or even the year before.
Happy New Year!
